Naoki Inoue appears to increase his reign as RIZIN bantamweight champion when he faces off with DEEP titleholder Ryuya Fukuda at Tremendous RIZIN 4, which fits down Sunday morning in Saitama, Japan
Plus, Inoue would additionally introduce him to worldwide viewers as one of many world’s finest bantamweights and open doorways for greater challenges on the market.
“My dream combat could be preventing the present UFC bantamweight champion,” Inoue advised MMA Combating by way of a translator. “Nonetheless, proper now the present bantamweight champion is Merab [Dvalishvili] and I used to coach him with him, so I don’t actually need to name him out as a result of we all know one another, we skilled collectively. However my dream is to combat the hardest man on the market, which might be the UFC bantamweight champion. That’s one factor that I might positively need to strive. Or anyone on the market in title competition.”
Inoue fought twice within the UFC again in 2018, when he was nonetheless competing as a flyweight, defeating Carls John de Tomas and shedding to Matt Schnell.
“There are lots of powerful guys within the PFL,” Inoue stated. “I’ve additionally favored to face Sergio Pettis. He additionally fought in RIZIN as soon as, I believe that may be a enjoyable matchup. There’s lots of powerful guys on the market that I’d need to combat.”
Successful a champion vs. champion conflict with Fukuda could be big for RIZIN’s native aspirations, however Inoue can be keen to face non-Japanese expertise sooner or later. RIZIN stars Kleber Koike and Roberto Satoshi advised MMA Combating prior to now they really feel like representing RIZIN in these conditions, however Inoue appears at it from a distinct perspective.
“I’ve at all times needed to combat worldwide powerful competitors to proceed to problem myself,” Inoue stated. “Clearly, it looks as if Kleber and Satoshi each have a powerful feeling the place they need to defend and defend Japan or, you recognize, defend RIZIN and combat for RIZIN in a approach. However, for me, if I might be extraordinarily egocentric, I need to combat powerful fighters for myself. I need to face more durable competitors, more durable worldwide competitors, to lift my skills. And if that results in proving RIZIN is primary, that’s nice, it really works out. However for me, I’ve extra of a egocentric mentality. I do that for myself and I need powerful competitors to lift my skills.
“I consider RIZIN is the No. 1 group in Japan, and the RIZIN champion needs to be one of the best in Japan. That’s a no brainer. That’s my mentality. In latest instances, there was some more durable worldwide competitors, worldwide fighters coming into the RIZIN bantamweight division. With all that stated, my plan is to proceed to be the champion and proceed to show that RIZIN has one of the best fighters not solely in Japan, however they will go in opposition to the worldwide world competitors as effectively.”
The 28-year-old expertise stays centered on the duty forward this weekend, seeking to go 10-2 contained in the RIZIN ring with a second profitable title protection after beating Soo Chul Kim and Yuki Motoya to win and defend the belt. Fukuda is 25-8-1 within the sport, and in addition 9-2 in his dwelling promotion, however already holds an ideal 3-0 below the RIZIN banner with a trio of stoppages over Masayuki Watanabe, Erson Yamamoto and Ryusei Ashizawa.
“He has been completed only a few instances,” Inoue stated of Fukuda. “Clearly I’ve been coaching to complete him. I’ve been engaged on some conditions the place I can end him, submit him. I’ve recreation plans the place I can edge him out by a choice. I’ve been engaged on numerous conditions in opposition to Fukuda. However as you will have talked about, he’s a really powerful fighter and he’s been completed only a few instances. I’ve been analyzing the combat the place he really obtained completed, making an attempt to search for his weak spots. I’ve been finding out him loads. I can combat him wherever the combat takes it and I’m gonna attempt to end him.”
